My buddy just told me that he heard on WBAL radio that someone just got fined $600 for trying to surf in OCMD. gnar!
yes i was there! and filmed some of it. he was out at 48th. and got 2 waves then came back in. the beach patrol and cops were all there waiting for him when he got out. He got two $300 fines.
does anyone know what the situation is gonna be tomorrow in terms of beach closures? i highly doubt they're gonna do that on labor day weekend, besides the fact that its only supposed to be chest high. i just dont want to make the 1:20hr drive for nothing.
I'm at work in ocmd right now, and just ran across the street to get some shots. Perfection. Not even too big where I was... bummer for that guy, def not 300$ waves... I was at another spot (not MD) this morning that was going ballisitic. Big.
what's with all this nonsense about getting fined for surfing? What a joke. Thank god I don't live in the mid Atlantic states.
yeah pretty ridiculous you can be fined for being in the water. it should be surf at own risk, plus no one owns the ocean so wtf.
I see both sides of the argument. Especially after watching the coast guard spend all morning searching for a floating body, the day after one washed up in asbury, and right now the same thing is going on in deal, cop cars helicopter, searching for a body etc. When hurricanes come you will always have idiots thinking its the eddie contest.
That's very sad to hear. A small percentage of people are always drowning int the ocean unfortunately whether there's a hurricane swell or not.It's sad, but true People almost never drown at lifeguard protected beaches. It's very rare. Know your limits and use common sense and slowly work your way up and..... IF IN DOUBT, DON'T GO OUT
Well said Mike...I've found that as I get older, I now know when to get the hell outta dodge. I just came back from checking it in Deal and Asbury, there are some crazy, yet rideable, bombs coming through (if you could get out). I ran into the cops that were looking in Deal at Darlington. Hopefully whoever it is will be found ok, but seeing how it was, I found that doubtful.
If they are going to be fining people tomorrow, that's BS. I doubt it will happen though. It's Labor Day weekend and it should calm down by morning.
that guy didnt just get fined for surfing, he got fined for directly disobeying after the guard made every effort he could to stop him from paddling out. he was running towards the surfer blowing his whistle, who turned, looked at him, and paddled out regardless. at that point it no longer is that guards responsibility and it is turned over to the officer's in charge who also had the police department respond. i see both sides of it too, but unfortunately for everyone, the mayor closed the beaches and that is final. no amount of 'i surf year round who are you to tell me i can't surf' will get you out of trouble. if you wanted to surf the storm surf with 20-30 mph north winds gusting at 40-50mph then there were other options besides OC (wedge, southside, fenwick). sometimes we (surfers who work for the city) just gotta do our jobs, and if you just freaking comply you won't get in trouble. surfers were allowed in an hour after the winds switched offshore at 5:30 anyways.
...surfers are denied the use of 95% of Ocean City beaches from Memorial Day to Labor Day - then, when conditions finally become too dangerous for swimmers, but big (and surfable if you know what you're doing), we're denied the use of 100% of the beach!! Where's the justice in that? Something is truly f*cked up with that! For those who feel we need to be "protected from ourselves", I would guarantee that: 1. When it is truly big, and epic, most surfers who are not up to it don't go out 2. Those who are not up to it, but try anyway, usually can't make it outside and give up and come in, tired, but uninjured. 3. In most cases on the east coast, leashes help when surfers are having trouble. 4. Most surfing injuries that I've seen, or become aware of, have happened in surf that was not remarkable, particularly big, or didn't seem dangerous. In Delaware, we are aware of the sad story of a guard who was a good surfer who died unexpectedly in "average" surf during the off-season session. No one is really sure how his death occurred. Sh*t happens, but it can happen in any conditions. By nature, big surf is "self-policing"! We know our capabilities, and sometimes help others when they're in "over their head! We don't need "life"guards to tell us that its too dangerous to surf! In SoCal, beaches are generally not closed cuz the surf is "too big", if they're closed its usually because of bacterial contamination and biological waste in the water! NOW THAT'S SCARY!
just splittin some hairs...... wow. that blows....crazy sh!t happenin there.... actually they rarely close a beach for bacteria...(unless it's a huge sewer line break...and that's rare...just happened in May)...they just post a sign...but you can go in...it's yer choice.... >>>This sign, riveted to the lifeguard tower at Doheny State Beach, is an inconspicuous warning to bathers about bacteria levels in the water. Most locals consider the sign as simply a precaution.<<< the lifeguards will just tell you...keep yer mouth shut and it usually happens after a rare rain when all the dogsh!t and motor oil that has accumulated on the streets of OC and LA is finally flushed to the sea... or at dog beach where the owners just bring the cr^p machines directly http://www.ocregister.com/articles/beach-220014-bacteria-issued.html when the wedge in newport gets big, the lifeguards get ready b/c peeps show UP.... but they let them go in...btw..for all you SUP and sponge haters, you'll enjoy this vid.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeL1KJepYps&feature=fvw
driving the most dangerous thing we do in our society is driving. yet we don't fine people for driving at say 2 AM because there is a greater chance that they will be hit by a drunk driver. this is the same arguement that has been going on for decades with backcountry skiers/boarders who get caught in avalances and have to be rescued with taxpayer money. in colorado if you by a fishing permit every year they will not charge you for search and rescue costs if something happens to you in wilderness area. i am happy to have my taxpayer dollars go to helping people in the water, just like they help people on the road in cars, and in fires in their homes.
Since when are swimmers denied going in the water after labor day? You get fined for swimming after labor day? Never heard of that.
Dogs are so annoying. You can't go anywhere without being bothered by them, except state beaches around here memorial to labor day and zoos. I wish they made dog free parks/hiking trails. I don't mind sharing. If a town has 2 parks(talking about parks, not beaches), one should ban dogs and the other should allow them. The owners rarely pay attention to leash laws. Many state beaches have denied access to them because of attacks. Their loud, dangerous/unpredictable(ie they bite people all the time..oh...my dog doesn't bite...it's a predator with teeth!), and they ****/piss everywhere and these owners let them run off the leash and have zero control over the dog. They call the dog and it completely ignore's them. Talk about a public safety concern for that dog, other dogs, and people.Not all dog owner of course are irresponsible and some are very responsible and pay attention to leash laws and have their dogs trained well, but many don't seem to.
